SUMMARY: When is bad breath its own condition, and when does it indicate something more? It all depends on a person's physiological condition. An article at the independent news website The Faster Times provides an example.

Posted: May 23, 2011

When is bad breath its own condition, and when does it indicate something more? It all depends on a person's physiological condition. An article at the independent news website The Faster Times provides an example.

The post, which took the form of a hypothetical case report, involved a man who avoided the dentists due to a fear of sharp instruments and the nagging notion that he has chronic bad breath. After finally making an appointment for a cavity, he had the tooth extracted. The news source said that three weeks later, the man suffered from paralysis of half of his body, along with a high fever.

While the article does not yet reveal the cause of the apparent stroke - the point, after all, is to try to figure it out yourself - it does note that halitosis can prevent people from seeking dental attention early.

Halitosis is commonly a condition all its own, one that can be minimized by using a tongue scraper or a specialty breath freshening rinse that neutralizes odor.

According to the Mayo Clinic, halitosis can be a symptom of a number of conditions, including acid reflux, diabetes or ketoacidosis, as well as a side effect of certain medications.